


Dragon Season

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Dragon Season [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Declarations Of Love, Dragon Sickness, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Soulmates, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 16:24:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16814224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: 'Dragons and their children have only one mate in their life. One opportunity, and if the chosen mate rejects them then they will live out their life alone.'It is not always as simple as that though, as Gray discovers when Natsu tries to hide from that side of himself and from what does and could lie between them. Then there is the small matter of learning to live with a flame-brained idiot.





	1. Chapter 1

It was early in the morning and after a particularly rambunctious party the night before the guild was a little quieter than usual, with many of the revellers either still abed or currently nursing a hangover. The only exception as always was Cana, who was sat at the bar, cards scattered in front of her and a fresh mug of ale at her side, despite Mira’s scolding when she’d ordered it. All in all, it was a perfectly normal day at Fairy Tail – perfectly normal that was if you ignored the deep, guttural growls echoing through the room at seemingly random intervals. Noises that were only growing louder and more frequent, to the point that even Cana had finally looked up from what she was doing to gaze askance at the two Dragon-slayers just as Natsu growled again, seemingly blind to his audience.

At the other end of the bar, Lucy and Erza were joined by a worried Mirajane who had finally abandoned all pretence at trying to clean the bar, their gazes were drawn to Gajeel as it was his turn to growl.

“What are they growling about?” Lucy hissed, trying not to draw attention to them. She had been running late that morning, and she had walked into the guild in the middle of a particularly vicious snarl from Gajeel, and while his attack on her was long forgiven, the sound had sent her scurrying across to Erza for protection in case the noise turned into something more than a threat.

“I have no idea,” Mira replied, and there was an anxious note to her voice, her gaze moving from Gajeel who was currently slouched in the far corner, glaring around the hall with an irritated expression on his face that didn’t seem that different from his normal one. Across to Natsu, who was sat on the other side of the hall in his team’s usual booth, his head bowed and attention fixed on the table in front of him, and seemingly unaware of the many growls escaping him. “They don’t seem to be growling at one another though because there’s always a gap after one of them growls, and they’re not in a set pattern,” she added thoughtfully, having been keeping an eye on them all morning since this strange behaviour had begun. In fact, there had been no sign that the two were remotely interested in one another, not even their usual competitiveness, which was strange but also a relief, because she didn’t want to imagine the damage they could do if they were genuinely irritated with one another.

However, that didn’t answer the question of what was going on with the pair, and as more people arrived, the rest of the guild was beginning to take notice of what was happening. It was slow, but gradually the rest of the guild were moving away from the Dragon-slayers, and newcomers were quickly waved to seats out of the direct path between the two. Everyone knew just how destructive the Dragon-slayers were capable of being, and with the tension growing in the air, there was no ignoring the growing potential for an explosion. Even Happy who was used to his partner’s destructiveness and who’d initially been sat with Natsu was moving away, flying across to sit beside Cana, eyeing the Fire mage with concerned eyes.

It was in the middle of all this that the doors opened again, and Wendy stepped inside with Carla in tow, the pair of them chatting animatedly about something and seemingly blind to the tense atmosphere that they’d just walked into.

“Wendy!” Erza called, relieved to see the younger girl, hoping that as a Dragon-slayer she might have some idea of what was going on. Wendy jumped at the shout, glancing at Erza and opening her mouth, presumably to respond when she abruptly faltered, going completely still for a moment before she cautiously sniffed the air. Whatever she smelt made her wrinkle her nose, and not for the first time Erza wondered what it was like to have Dragon-slayer senses. However, that thought was forgotten as Wendy turned to look at Natsu and then Gajeel, frowning slightly before her expression cleared and she nodded thoughtfully. Seemingly satisfied with whatever she had learnt, she turned and headed towards Erza and the other mages who had gathered around the bar as it was a safe distance from the growling Dragon-slayers.

"Wendy, do you know what's wrong with them?" Lucy demanded as soon as Wendy reached them, ignoring the way Charla bristled at her tone, gesturing at Natsu and Gajeel. Before the younger girl could reply, Gajeel snarled, and the Celestial mage flinched, shrinking back slightly, although a quick glance showed that he didn’t seem to be focused on her.

"They're in season," Wendy explained cheerfully, only to blink as she was met with blank expressions as the others exchanged confused glances, her expression falling a little when she realised that they didn’t understand. Before she could try and think how to explain, she was cut off by another growl ringing out, and a quick glance told her that Natsu was the guilty party this time and she frowned again, tapping a finger against her chin. “Gajeel-san is about the right age, but I would’ve thought that Natsu-san would take a little longer. Maybe it’s because they’re in such close proximity,” she mused, glancing across at Gajeel.

“I…What do you mean?” Lucy began, then changed what she was going to say, unable to hide her curiosity although she was a little hesitant about whether she really wanted to know the answer. In ‘season’? That wasn’t a word that you usually thought about in relation to people, she mused, but then again it might be fitting in this situation she thought as another growl rang out.

“Male dragons rarely spend a lot of time in close proximity, especially during mating season, as they can set one another off,” Wendy explained, drawing everyone’s attention back to her. “It doesn’t happen often, but it can be awful, especially if both want the same mate. Grandine said that those battles were horrific and usually fatal.” Her voice had dropped off, and it was only when she looked up and saw the alarmed expressions on her guild mate’s faces that she realised where their thoughts had gone. “That’s not the case here though! Look at how they’re staying away from one another that wouldn’t happen if they going to fight,” she added hastily, holding up her hands placatingly, almost able to feel the sigh of relief that went through the group. None of the older members had forgotten the battle between Gajeel and Natsu during the Phantom Lord troubles, it had been awe-inspiring to watch, but it had been destructive enough, and the mere thought of an all-out, to-the-death battle between the two was terrifying.

“If that’s the case why are they growling so much?” Erza asked, her gaze focused on Natsu as she spoke. His growls seemed to have grown in volume, far more than Gajeel’s had, and at this point, he was growling nearly continuously she realised, although his attention seemed to be riveted to the table in front of him, although she knew better to think that he wasn’t aware of them. It was making her nervous, and even though Gajeel’s growls were more spaced out, they were just as intense at Natsu’s, and a small part of her wondered if Wendy was wrong and they were going to lunge at one another at any moment.

Wendy tilted her head, startled by the question as the answer seemed shockingly clear to her, but Erza seemed earnest, so she shrugged. “It’s just their way of warning people away from their mates,” she explained matter-of-factly, not sure what to make of the shocked expressions that greeted her words or the way everyone was looking between the two older Dragon-slayers.

"Mates?" The entire group started at the new voice, having not noticed Gray joining the group and the Ice mage scowled at them. However, it wasn’t long before all eyes had returned expectantly to Wendy, who sighed as it dawned on her that right now she was the only one here who had any idea of what was going on. Privately she wished that the Master was around, after all, he seemed to know most things, and he would be better suited to answering the questions they seemed to have, but Makarov was away at a conference, so she supposed that it did fall to her and she grimaced, almost wishing she had stayed in bed.

Claiming a chair, because there was no way she was standing to do this, especially when most of her listeners towered above her, she wracked her brains for the best way to explain what was happening to them. To her, it was just part of being a Dragon-slayer, a part of life, and it had never really occurred to her that other people might not grasp that part of them. “Mating season is one of the most important times in a Dragon’s life,” she began, swallowing at the sensation of being the centre of attention, before squaring her shoulders as she continued. “Dragons mate for life and that was one of the traits that was passed on to us Dragon-slayers. Once we find our desire mate, it becomes a case of them or no one else.”

“But…”

“When Dragons or Dragon-slayers go into season, they have approximately a week to a week and a half to claim their mate,” Wendy continued, not sure who had tried to interrupt but wanting to get everything out before she dealt with questions. “If they don’t claim them, or worse, if their chosen mate rejects the bond, then they lose their chance, and they will remain unbonded for the rest of their life.” Her expression grew sorrowful at this part, and she had to look down. Grandine had been rejected by her chosen mate a long time before Wendy had come along, and her foster-mother had always seemed lonely, the pain of that rejection having never left her, although Grandine had never let it hold her back. “It’s a lonely life if that happens…”

“What happens if they haven’t found a…mate? Does that even happen?” Lucy asked hesitantly, feeling herself blushing. There was something about all this that felt intensely private, and she couldn’t help but think they shouldn’t be asking, that this was too much information, even as she wanted to find out more so that she could help her friends. It didn’t help, that she was finding it odd to think that Natsu – who normally had to be one of the most oblivious boys she had ever met, was one of the ones going through this. She knew he wasn’t as idiotic as he often pretended to be, but there was always a part of him that seemed totally oblivious to the idea of dating and romance and settling down with someone.

“It does happen, and if it does, then they will just be really irritable for the length of their season, and they will go into season every year until they do find their mate,” Wendy replied, before smiling as she glanced between the other two Dragon-slayers. “However, I don’t think that’s something we need to worry about, as from the way they’re acting, they’ve both chosen someone.” As though to emphasise her point another series of growls rang out.

Silence greeted that display and her proclamation, as those closest to Natsu and Gajeel swiftly moved away and Wendy rolled her eyes. Unless they directly interfered or did something to whoever the pair had chosen, then the rest of the guild was in no danger. It was Erza who broke the silence as she glanced across at Levy who had joined them, no doubt worried about Gajeel’s strange behaviour, and a smile crept across the Requip Mage’s face. “Well, I would say that Gajeel’s choice is obvious enough.” Her pointed look was enough to make Levy turn bright red, waving her hands in nervous denial as she backed up under the sudden scrutiny that Erza’s words had bought down on her.

"W-what do you mean?" Levy asked, her voice catching and further proving Erza’s claim, even before the red-head reached out and pushed Gray a few steps closer to Levy. The effect was immediate, as a particularly loud growl rang out from Gajeel’s direction and seeing the dark eyes that were now fixed on him, Gray immediately scrambled back, glaring at Erza who merely smirked before arching an eyebrow at Levy.

“He’s been growling everytime someone steps too close to you,” Erza explained, silencing the entire group and causing more than one person to gape at her, startled that she had been able to pick up on that while being in the centre of the discussions. “Besides, it makes sense. You’ve been going out for a while now haven’t you?”

If Levy hadn’t been red before, she certainly was now, eyes flicking towards Gajeel for a moment before she looked down and gave a tiny nod. She didn’t know how Erza had found out about that as they had been trying to keep it quiet, and with so many eyes on them, she decided that she didn’t want to know. Instead, she took a moment just to breathe, to try and ignore the fact that she was currently the centre of attention as she weighed up what Wendy had said, finally, lifting her head to look across at the younger girl. “Once in a lifetime chance?” It wasn’t that she was sure about her choice, but she wanted to know what lay ahead of them and what weight her next actions would carry. Wendy nodded nervously, glancing between Levy and the watchful Gajeel in the distance, feeling very much out of depth, but she needn’t have worried because a beautiful smile crept across Levy’s face.

Without a word to anyone else, Levy straightened, squaring her shoulders before pushing through the group and marching across to Gajeel whose attention had snapped to her the moment she began to move. His next growl catching in his throat as she approached, and she closed the distance between them, capturing his lips in a quick, but fierce kiss, silencing the growl entirely as his eyes widened. It had also silenced the rest of the guild, and Levy threw them a cheeky grin and wave as she pulled back, before she held out a hand to Gajeel, heaving him up when he finally nervously accepted it and leading him out of the Guildhall, neither of them looking back.

“Well, I suppose that’s one way of doing it,” Lucy muttered under her breath, stunned by her usually shy friend’s boldness. Still, she was happy for her and looking forward to the gossip she’d be able to get later, and she had to bite back a grin as she glanced across at Jet and Droy who was staring, open-mouthed after their team member. They seemed to recover after a moment, but then she realised they were whispering to each other about what they would do to Gajeel if he hurt ‘their’ Levy, and she hoped for their sake that they never felt the need to try and carry out those threats because Gajeel would make mincemeat of them.

“Well that.’s Gajeel taken care of, but what about Natsu?” Erza asked, turning her attention back to the other Dragon-slayer who was still growling, although he seemed to still be wrapped up in his own world. “He isn’t seeing anyone at the moment is he?” She glanced at Lucy as she said this, honestly curious this time, although there was a small smile playing around her lips.

“Me?” Lucy demanded. “Why are you looking at me like that?” No-one answered, but they didn’t need to as she glanced around and saw that everyone was staring at her now, and she blushed, easily rivalling Levy’s from earlier as she urgently shook her head. “No way, we’re just friends.” She glanced around, searching for a distraction and her eyes lit up as her gaze landed on Mirajane. “What about Lisanna? He’s known her a lot longer than he’s known me.”

“Lisanna isn’t here though,” Mira replied, tilting her head towards Natsu as he growled again. “She left three days ago with Elfman to do a job, and from what Wendy said, his mate should be someone who's in the guild right now based on his behaviour.” The group groaned – those had been the two names at the top of everyone’s list of people that Natsu seemed vaguely interested in. Vaguely, being the world – because most of them had assumed that Natsu was either completely unaware of girls based on his sometimes stupid behaviour around them or at least unaware of them in that sense.

"Wendy?" Cana suggested, purely as a joke, looking up from her tankard for a moment, and grinning when Wendy squeaked and turned bright red. However, she was the one to choke when a moment later someone suggested that it was her.

The group whispered and muttered amongst themselves, bouncing names and possibilities around as they tried to work out whose Natsu’s growls were aimed at, a seemingly impossible task as the growls were constant now. In the hubbub they failed to notice Gray slipping away from the group, having refused to contribute any names to the discussion, and they missed the way he glanced at Natsu and the disgruntled…almost unhappy expression on his face as he slipped out of the door. All of them, apart from Mira that was, who had noted both his departure and the fact that Natsu had actually fallen silent for a moment, and when she glanced across at the Dragon-slayer, she saw that his head had come up and he was staring at the door. He remained taut for a minute before he slumped back in his seat, head bowed again.

Mira was torn between a desire to squeal with delight, and go across and give the Fire mage a shove in the right direction, but considering what Wendy had been saying, she had a feeling that wouldn’t go across too well. Trusting that they would sort it out, she turned back to the discussion that was still raging around her, a secretive smile on her lips even as she shook her head at the obliviousness of Natsu’s best friends.

*

Contrary to appearances, Natsu wasn’t blind to what was going on around him, unable to avoid the discussion on the far side of the guild with his sharp hearing. It irritated him, not only because this was his mate…his business, not theirs, and because no one seemed to have realised where his interests lay, or the reason why he was sitting here, trapped by raging doubts and thoughts. It didn’t help that Gajeel had acknowledged his chosen, and been accepted in turn – although he wouldn’t have wished for it to go the other way, even if Gajeel had still been his enemy.

_That kind_ _of loneliness…_

He shuddered, he wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy. And didn’t that just highlight how hopeless his own situation was? Irate, he got to his feet and headed for the door, trying to ignore the scent that called so enticingly to him as he followed it’s path, unable to bear the thought of staying around other people when he felt like this. He knew that the answer was to accept what was happening and talk to his chosen, but he couldn’t do it. There was too much at stake, and he couldn’t bear the thought of losing his friendship with his mate. He would just go home and hide out there for the rest of the week until this was all over, and then they could all go back to how it was…and how it would always be.

Natsu could hear the debate raging around him, and it irritated him that no one seemed to have a clue about how he was really feeling…and who he was feeling it for. It didn't help that he was aware that Gajeel had acknowledged his chosen, and she had accepted – it only helped to highlight that his situation was utterly hopeless. Irate he got to his feet and headed out of the guild, unwilling to put up with other people while he felt like this and reluctant to risk losing his friendship with his mate. He would just hide out at home until the week was out, then they could all go back to how it was…and how it would always be.

***  
The next morning found Erza, Lucy and Happy following the path up to Natsu’s house, the latter having spent the night with Wendy and Carla after the youngest Dragon-slayer had pulled him aside and suggested that Natsu might need some time. He hadn’t been happy about leaving his partner alone given the situation, but he hadn’t argued, realising that this was beyond his experience. However, now he was beginning to regret that decision especially when Erza knocked on the door when they reached it, and there was no response from within. The three of them exchanged worried looks, and the Requip mage knocked for the second time, a third and a fourth time.

“Natsu? Natsu let us in!” She called on the last one, scowling when there was still no response, knowing that there was no way Natsu wouldn’t be able to hear her. Sharing a glance with Lucy, she reached for her sword, determined to break down the door if she needed to. They’d all be alarmed to realise that he’d disappeared from the guild the day before, somewhat ashamed that they had been so caught up in guessing who his mate was that they hadn’t noticed, but they had decided to give him a day to hopefully get himself together…and to stop growling. However, now it appeared more and more like they had made the wrong decision, and her fingers tightened on the hilt of her sword, just as there was a shout from inside the house.

“Go away!” They all froze, stunned. Natsu never denied Erza. Never. Even Gray had rebelled more than the Dragon-slayer ever had in front of their friend’s wrath, and there was a sinking feeling that this was only just the beginning.

“Natsu…” Lucy started, hoping to intervene before the two could come to blows, but she had barely got a word out before a fierce snarl rang out from inside. She stumbled back, eyes wide as she stared at the door, half expecting either Natsu or flames to come erupting out of it. This wasn’t the Natsu she knew, unable to remember a time when he had lashed out at any of them with real anger, and she found herself backing up another step.

“I said go away,” his voice was little more than a growl now, and they were startled by the raw emotion they could detect in his voice, a desperation that they had never heard from him before and they exchanged an uneasy glance. “I don’t want to see anyone.” Before they could formulate a response, they heard movement on the far side of the door, followed by the sound of a door slamming somewhere inside, marking his retreat deeper into the house.

Happy mewed softly, before darting up and round to the window that was usually left open so he could come and go if he was flying, coming up short when he found it was shut. He’d known that Natsu had to be aware he was with the girls, knowing just how good his partner’s sense of smell was and his ears dropped as he drifted back down to the others. He could almost understand Natsu ignoring them, but ignoring him? Shutting him out? He was scared, and he made no effort to hide it as he informed them of the situation, drooping further when they looked more worried than ever. “What are we going to do? He shouldn’t be alone!”

“I think that we should tell the Master about what is happening,” Erza replied after a moment, tapping her fingers against the sword for a moment before finally releasing it, realising that bursting in wasn’t going to help right now. Normally, she wouldn’t have hesitated, but there was something in what Wendy had been saying that made her nervous to do anything that could make the situation worse for the Fire Mage. “He might have more information about what is going on, and how we can help.” _I hope,_ she added silently. However, Makarov had been one of the first to believe Natsu about being a Dragon-slayer when he was younger, and she knew that he would’ve done some research into it in case anything happened. Which might mean he had some extra insight, that even Wendy was missing because while she was a Dragon-slayer, she was a lot younger than the others and her information came from years before, from a Dragon that had now disappeared.

Gajeel would generally have been there go to, but he and Levy had yet to reappear after yesterday, and they had the sense not to try and disturb them. That and Wendy had almost growled at them when they had half-heartedly suggested it earlier that morning.

Happy worried at his bottom lip, not entirely sure that involving someone else would help the current situation and not liking the idea that they were going to lose more time in finding Makarov and explaining what was happening. Natsu was on his own, something that the Dragon-slayer hated with a passion, but the Exceed couldn’t see any other options, and after a moment he nodded, floating down to land on the doorstep. “I’m going to stay here in case Natsu decides he wants to come out or to talk,” he explained, curling up on the step, the very picture of feline concern. Erza nodded and offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile, knowing that he had to be even more worried than they were, as it was unheard of for Natsu to shut him out entirely like this. Even their most heated spats had never lasted more than a couple of quarrels, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was going to last longer.

“We’ll be as quick as we can,” she promised, before gesturing for Lucy to follow her, not missing the nervous glance the other girl shot at the door or the speed at which she followed.

*

The two girls were quiet as they walked away from the house, waving farewell to the lonely figure of Happy on the doorstep before they passed out of sight. Once they were in the clear, Lucy took a deep breath and glanced at the sky, trying to bury the unwelcome fear that Natsu’s snarl had triggered, and when she felt calmer, she glanced across at Erza. “I wonder why Natsu won’t let on who his mate is?” Admittedly, she hadn’t known about Levy and Gajeel, but she had a feeling that even if Erza hadn’t called the Solid-Script mage out, the pair wouldn’t have waited long to resolve the situation, but she couldn’t understand how they hadn’t worked out who Natsu was interested in. Or why he hadn’t said anything or apparently approached anyone.

“I’m not sure.” Erza’s reply had been quick, but she seemed to hesitate before her shoulders shook under the force of her sigh. “But Natsu has always been shy about stuff like that, so maybe it’s just that?”

“Shy?” Lucy echoed, unable to hide her disbelief, thinking of all the times that Natsu had climbed into her bed without invitation, or walked in on her and seen things he most definitely shouldn’t have seen. He had always seemed oblivious, and she couldn’t recall him ever blushing or being genuinely awkward about it, and even Gray had shown more awareness than the Dragon-slayer, and he was usually blind to Juvia’s infatuation.

“Natsu doesn’t like to talk about relationships or emotions beyond friendship,” Erza continued after a moment, seemingly ignoring the question, but then she paused and glanced at Lucy with an amused smile. “Most of the time he really is oblivious.” Lucy ducked her head, feeling caught out, but then again it was Natsu they were talking about, and they’d both had plenty of experience with his denseness. “However, I think the main reason is more to do with his childhood.”

“What…?”

“Natsu has no idea what happened to his real parents, and Igneel left him,” Erza murmured, remembering how many times she had watched Natsu running out of the guild, chasing down the slightest rumour that might lead him to his foster-father and she closed her eyes. “I think that part of him is afraid of admitting how he feels, in case this other person…his mate, leaves him behind as well. It’s a fear that’s never really left him, despite how close he is to everyone in the Guild.” That thought made her falter – he had his reasons, maybe they were doing the wrong thing in going for help? Yet, she couldn’t forget her concern or the sight of Happy’s dejected form as he realised that Natsu had locked him out and she ruthlessly suppressed her doubts. Valid fears or not, they needed to do something to help.

Lucy, on the other hand, was nodding thoughtfully at what Erza had just said. It made her sad to imagine what Natsu had gone through, and what he must be feeling now because of it. However, she still couldn’t really understand not wanting to pursue the person you wanted to be with, especially with everything that was at stake with him being a Dragon-slayer. None of them had missed the emphasis Wendy had put on the consequences of failure, or the sorrow in her eyes as she’d spoken about it, and the thought of that happening to Natsu… she shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself.

_Natsu, why are you ignoring this?_


	2. Chapter 2

The world was on fire.

Natsu was a creature of fire, a child of it, and right now he felt as though he was burning up. It was a strange experience, as fire usually never felt hot to him and yet now it scorched him, burning a path over his skin and threatening to devour him with each shuddering breath.

The groan that slipped free as he staggered towards the kitchen, blearily thinking about finding something to cool him down, was more an overheated gasp than anything and the world seemed to blur and fade in and out of focus around him. _It was too hot._ He had been feeling increasingly ill over the last four days, but nothing like this sick, all-consuming fire that seemed to be lancing a path through every inch of his body. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could recall Igneel telling him that this would happen if he stayed away from his chosen mate when he finally went into Season, and he knew the solution, the one thing that would quench the fire, but he couldn’t risk it.

No, he wouldn’t risk it.

He’d rather endure this heat. This pain. Than risk speaking up and losing the other mage’s friendship, over something that neither of them had expected…that neither of them had chosen. _I would though,_ even as he railed against the unfairness of it all, he couldn’t deny that thought. He couldn’t deny that his draconic side had known precisely what he wanted, and who he wanted. However, that didn’t mean he would give in to that side of himself, because while losing Igneel had hurt more than anything he had ever experienced, he had managed to keep going, to keep moving even with the questions and lack of answers hovering over his head. He didn’t think he would be able to do the same if gambled and lost on what – who, his draconic side was calling for, and so he took a deep breath, and faced the flames.

_It hurts, but it could be worse. I could lose him._

The mantra wasn’t as effective as he wanted, and his steps grew increasingly wobbly as he headed for the sink, eyes locked on the water that he could see dripping from the tap. He was supposed to have fixed that… _Happy had asked, hadn’t he?_ He blinked, confused, reaching out to grab the sideboard to try and steady himself, his thoughts darting around like wild fireflies, agitated by the drip, drip, drop noise coming from the sink. _Water, I…_ He had managed to marshall his thoughts for a second, but the room was starting to spin around him in crazy, disorientating circles and he was forced to halt, leaning heavily on the side, blinking rapidly as he tried to get the world to settle down, stomach churning wildly and bile built up on his tongue.

_The train had just lurched forwards, and Natsu had barely had a chance to blink before his stomach had swayed in a different direction and he could feel himself turning green as nausea threatened to overwhelm him. Just once, he thought bitterly as he squeezed his eyes shut…Just once I want to get on one of these things and not feel sick, and…_

_“Easy…” The voice wasn’t unexpected, because as much as his friends teased and grumbled about his travel sickness, they all had their own ways of trying to help him. Some more effective, and gentle than others. However, what did surprise him was the coolness that blossomed against his skin, and it took his frazzled mind a moment to realise that cold fingers were brushing over his forehead and moving to push his hair out of the way, a tantalising scent of pine-cones and winter snow tickling his nose._

Natsu blinked, opening his eyes, not sure when he had closed them. The memory which had always been a fond one, a moment that he had reminisced on in snatched moments. Now though, it sent a wave of disappointment through him, because there was no chill touch against his burning forehead and no familiar scent soothing him. However, the world had settled a little and taking a deep breath, and he turned his attention back to the sink, staggering as he tried to head towards it, the room beginning to spin around him in crazy circles. His stomach lurched violently, and for a moment he thought he was going to vomit and he halted, clinging to the side, blinking rapidly as he tried to get his bearings.

It took a few minutes for the world to right itself, slowly settling onto an even keel again, and eventually, he felt like it was safe to move again and he took an unsteady step forward. However, he had barely moved before his legs gave way beneath him, sending him to the floor with a sharp cry.

Wincing he tried to push himself back up, but the world was on the move again, and after a few seconds he slumped back in defeat. The floor felt cold against his burning skin, and a small sigh of relief escaped him as he pressed himself against it. He knew that he should get up, that in truth he really needed help, but at that moment he lacked the strength or will to get up again. With a low whimper of pain, he wearily let his eyes flutter shut, closing out the ever moving room and allowing the threatening shadows overwhelm him and drive back the flames.

****

It had been four days since the guild had first learnt about Dragon-slayers going into season, and the fact that two out of their free Slayers were currently going through it, and in that time Gray had hidden out at home. He refused to admit that he was sulking, but there was also no way that he was going to go to the guild just to listen to the no doubt ongoing debate about who was Natsu’s mate. His foul mood made worse by the fact that none of his teammates had shown up in that time, not bothering to check on him or drag him off on a job. The latter was surprising as he was sure that Lucy’s rent was due soon, and as he had been partially responsible for the destruction they’d had to pay for on their last job, he had been waiting to make up for it and it was making him nervous, because Erza at least wouldn’t have forgotten that fact.

However, despite his reluctance, after four days with no company and apparently no sign of a job, Gray found himself emerging from his self-imposed exile and reluctantly heading towards the guild building. Despite his best efforts, he found his thoughts wandering as he made his way there, wondering if Natsu had worked out whatever issues he had and approached his chosen mate and if the mystery girl had responded. He was torn, grimacing at the thought of it, but also unable to forget Wendy’s dire warnings, and his jealousy left a foul taste in his mouth as the part of him that wanted the Flamebrain to be okay reared its head. And he was half-scowling, head ducked to avoid the others when he finally reached the guild and slipped inside.

It was early enough for the guild to still be relatively empty, and a quick glance was all that it took to show him that there was no sign of the girls. However, it was the absence of a certain pink-haired idiot that really caught his attention, and fanned to life the flicker of concern that he had been trying to ignore, because it was virtually unheard of for Natsu not to be at the guild unless they were out on a job or recovering from an injury. It occurred to him briefly that maybe Natsu was off somewhere with his mystery mate, as much as he didn’t want to think about it, but the thought was short-lived as he glanced around again, this time spotting Gajeel sat in the far side of the guild. The Iron Dragon-slayer was sat beside Levy who was busy thumbing through a book, an almost happy expression on his face as the little mage curled against his side and Gray scowled. If Gajeel was already back in the guild, then it didn’t seem likely that Natsu, who lived and breathed Fairy Tail would still be absent.

_Unless something was wrong…_

It was harder than he cared to admit to bury that worrying thought, and he his scowl deepened as he headed towards the bar, hoping that maybe he could get answers. Although, he had to admit, privately at least that he was relieved that it didn’t seem as though was going to be subjected to a continuation of the ‘guess who Natsu likes game’.

“Mira,” he called as he reached the bar, sliding onto a stool on the opposite side to where he could see a passed out Cana, waiting until the Take-over mage who had been engrossed in tidying up behind the bar glanced up at him. “Have you seen the others? And where the hell is the Flamebrain?” He had meant to leave it at ‘others’, but he couldn’t silence the worry and the second question slipped out as well, and Mira paused. There was something frightening about the knowing glint that had appeared in her eyes as she studied him, and he was half a second from looking away when it disappeared, replaced by a worried frown that had him tensing in alarm because he knew that it took quite a lot to put that expression on Mira’s face.

“We haven’t seen Natsu in a few days, he’s not been back to the guild since that first day when they went into ‘season’, and he’s been refusing to let anyone else in to see him either,” Mira replied. And Gray could feel his worry for the Flamebrained idiot growing with each word, especially when she hesitated before adding quietly. “He won’t even let Happy in.” Gray nearly bolted then and there, because the thought of Natsu shutting out the Exceed was so wrong, and unbelievable, that his previous thought that something had gone wrong was screaming in the back of his mind. “Erza and Lucy have gone to fetch the Master, in the hopes that he might have a better idea of what is going on than Wendy does.” Well, that explained their unusual absence, but it didn’t answer any of his growing questions about Natsu, and his worry and fear needled him because it just wasn’t like the Flamebrain to be acting like this.

_I need to see him,_ the thought broke through the worried haze, and without a word he rose, pushing himself away from the bar. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, after all, if Wendy was right then no one other than Natsu’s mate would be able to help him, but he had to do something. He waved over his shoulder at Mira as he all but bolted for the door, unable to hide his worry at his point, oblivious to the fact that Gajeel was watching him with a small smirk playing on his lips or the knowing expression that had reappeared on Mira’s face.

**

Not for the first time, Gray cursed the fact that Natsu had decided to live outside the town, as he was breathing heavily as he finally reached the end of the garden path, having run most of the way there. _Idiotic piece of flame,_ he thought, but there was no real sense of heat to the thought, especially when he caught a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye, and realised that Happy was sat curled up on the doorstep, looking absolutely miserable. _Mira wasn’t lying,_ a small part of him had wondered if she was overplaying things, as it was hard to imagine Natsu ignoring Happy, but the evidence was in front of him now, and he scowled before glancing up at the house, searching the windows for some sign of Natsu.

_What the hell are you playing at Flamebrain?_

“Happy!” He called, unable to see any sign of life in the house and not wanting to burst in on Natsu without a little more information. The Exceed’s head snapped up at the sound of his voice, and Gray’s expression darkened as he took in the unhappy expression on Happy’s face and the concern in the wide eyes that met his gaze before glancing hopefully behind him.

“Gray?” Happy looked confused by the fact that he was alone but relieved to see anyone as he sprang into the air and flew across to meet him. “What are you doing here? Have the girls come back with the Master?” He demanded as he reached the Ice mage, a hopeful expression crossing his face although the concern never dimmed.

“I’ve come to see Natsu,” Gray answered halting for a moment to catch his breath, a little bit offended that Happy seemed so confused to see him. Sure he and Natsu fought almost constantly, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t care about the idiot, especially when Wendy had stressed how important this period of time was. However, he buried the irritation, unable to hold onto it in the face of Happy’s obvious distress. “The girls aren’t back yet as far as I know, but it’s going to take them a while as the conference is further away this time.” He couldn’t entirely stifle a wicked grin as he added that last bit, as he had a feeling that the Masters had chosen the location for its remoteness and distance from Fairy Tail after what happened at the previous meeting. He spared a brief thought for how Makarov was going to react when Lucy and Erza turned up, almost wishing that he was there to see it. Almost, because Natsu had been there last time and they had all been together, and…

“Natsu still won’t let me inside,” Happy cut across his darkening thoughts, although the words did little to improve his mood as he focused on the Exceed once more. “And I haven’t heard him moving about, so I don’t know what he’s doing or if he’s even all right.” Happy added as he glanced back up at the house, his ears and wings drooping.

“It’s going to be all right Happy,” Gray murmured, trying to sound reassuring, despite his scowl growing as he followed the Exceed’s gaze. This went beyond what he had imagined, and now he was becoming irritated with Natsu as he glanced back at Happy’s defeated posture. Enough was enough, he thought as he headed for the door, wishing that he believed his own words, and if there was a little too much force to his knocks as he pounded on the door then at least Happy was kind enough not to comment.

He paused for a moment, craning his head to listen for a response and after a few minutes of silence he repeated the action before waiting once more, but there was no sign that anyone was even home and he growled under his breath. “Fine, if you want to play it that way,” he muttered, reaching out and placing his hands on either side of the lock, letting his magic flare and watching as ice crept over the wood, and seeped into the lock. He spared a brief glance at Happy, but while the Exceed looked uncertain he made no move to stop the Ice mage, and Gray took that as permission as he took a half-step back before lashing out at the frozen part of the door. There was a screeching noise, and then it buckled, shattering under the force of the impact.

“Gray…” Happy mewed behind him, but the protest was weak at best as the door swung open, finally offering a chance to get inside and check on his partner. If he was honest, he had expected Erza to break down the door when she had been growled at, and while he worried about how Natsu would react to the door being broken, he was more relieved than anything.

“Come on,” Gray called as he pushed the door open, waiting until he felt the breeze from Happy’s wings before he stepped over the threshold.

**

The air inside was warm. It usually was when Natsu was around, but there was something off about the heat today as it prickled against Gray’s skin, and it wasn’t just their magic clashing, and he shuddered, fighting the urge to recoil under the oppressive sensation.

“Flamebrian?!” He called instead, forcing himself to move further inside, followed closely by an uncharacteristically quiet Happy. As he glanced around, feeling sweat building on his forehead, he absently noted how tidy the house was – remembering how surprised he had been the first time he had come out here to visit Natsu. The Dragon-slayer was always causing so much havoc at the guild, and so much destruction when they were on jobs, that he had always expected his house to be a bombsite, but instead it had been the exact opposite.

The house remained silent, the heat seeming to curl around them, increasing with each breath he took and he exchanged a worried glance with Happy as he moved further down the hallway. He stuck his head in the first doorway, but the living room was empty, and he growled, sure that Natsu must’ve heard them entering. _If he’s hiding…_ However, that thought trailed off, overwhelmed by the surge of panic that engulfed him when he turned and glanced towards the kitchen, just able to make out familiar sandals from his current angle. “Natsu!” He shouted, clipping his shoulder on the door frame in his haste to get to the kitchen, only to come to an abrupt halt as he found himself staring down at Natsu’s crumpled form.

The Dragon-slayer looked awful, and Gray could feel what until now had been a complicated mix of concern and irritation blossoming into full-blown fear as he took a cautious step into the room, barely aware of Happy’s horrified gasp from behind him. “Natsu…” The Fire mage was deathly pale, and his entire face was covered with a heavy sheen of sweat, and he seemed to be struggling for each breath, panting heavily, and there was pain etched into every line of his face. _Flamebrain…_ Gray forced himself to move, closing the distance between them in quick, unsteady steps and dropping to his knees so that he could reach out to lay a hand on Natsu’s forehead, recoiling at the heat coming from the Dragon-slayer. Natsu had always been warm, often unbelievably hot to the Ice mage, but this was something more, something dangerous and overwhelming and Gray could feel his fear beginning to morph into terror as he watched the ragged rise and fall of the other’s chest.

“Natsu?” He called, adopting a gentle tone that he had never used on the other before, even when he’d been grievously injured, watching desperately for some sign that the Dragon-slayer knew that he was there. “Flamebrain, can you hear me?” The insult, which had become more of an endearment than anything over the years never failed to get a response from Natsu, but today there was nothing and Gray rocked back on his heels, forcing himself to take a deep, steadying breath as he tried to fight back the strange panic that was threatening to strangle him.

“Happy,” he said once he felt more in control, turning to look at Happy who had landed behind him, staring at Natsu with wide, terrified eyes and looking every inch his age at the moment. Gray waited for Happy to look at him, trying to marshal some kind of reassuring smile but certain that it must be closer to a grimace at the moment. “We need Wendy, can you fetch her?” He hated to ask, knowing that Happy would want to stay at Natsu’s side, but he was faster than Gray was, and he didn’t know how much longer Natsu could hold out under this heat. Happy hesitated for a moment, staring longingly at Natsu before nodding and springing into the air, darting out of the door faster than Gray had seen him move in a long time, and he just hoped that it would be enough.

Gray remained where he was for a few more seconds, collecting himself, before he forced himself to move, knowing that neither of them could afford for him to fall apart right now. The kitchen wasn’t the best place to deal with this either, and he carefully scooped Natsu up in his hands, staggering a little under his weight as he got to his feet. He almost expected Natsu to start awake then, but there was no reaction to the fact that he was being carried by the ‘Ice Princess’ and his arms tightened around the burning figure, holding him close as he carefully carried him up through the house to the bedroom. It felt strange to be in here without an invite, but they didn’t have much choice at the moment, and Gray buried his uneasiness as he settled Natsu on the bed, not daring to risk the hammock at the moment even though he knew it was the Dragon-slayers preferred place to sleep.

Natsu lay where he was put, chest rising and falling in ragged motions and mouth open as he panted heavily and Gray swallowed. It was an unnerving sight, seeing the Dragon-slayer so still and unresponsive, even when he pulled the covers up and over him, tucking him in before settling on the edge beside him. And there was a slight tremble to his fingers as he reached out, pushing through the heat to lay his hand over Natsu’s feverish brow, letting ice form around his fingers as he tried to do what he could to bring the fever down until Wendy got there, hopefully with answers.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting there, continually replenishing the ice around his fingers as Natsu’s heat burnt through it, but he jolted violently when the quiet which had only been punctuated by the Fire mage’s ragged breathing was broken. “G-Gray…” It was little more than a whisper, but Gray’s gaze shot down hopefully, only to be disappointed as he realised that Natsu was still out of it, although he seemed to have shifted, leaning into Gray’s touch as some of the lines in his face eased. It wasn’t enough by far, but it was something, and Gray felt his lips twitching, absently reaching out with his free hand to brush bedraggled pink hair out of Natsu’s face, running his fingers through the mattered strands.

As he continued his ministrations, it occurred to him that this was the first time that he had ever seen Natsu really ill. Oh, there had been the usual colds and sniffles that came from having a group of children running wild together, and there were Natsu’s frequent but short-lived bouts of motion-sickness, and of course the numerous injuries he acquired through their work, but nothing like this. And it was disturbing to see him like this and realise that he wasn’t invincible, that even Natsu could be laid low by illness.

** **

Gray shifted, switching the hand he was using to cool Natsu yet again and wondering what on earth was keeping Wendy as it felt like hours since he had sent Happy to fetch her. He was just contemplating trying a more drastic measure to bring the fever down, as his ice while soothing seemed to be having little actual impact on the heat itself, when he heard a clatter from downstairs, followed by Wendy’s voice.

“Gray-san? Natsu-san?”

“We’re up here Wendy!” He shouted, realising that she probably hadn’t been here before, but trusting that she would be able to track the sound of his voice as he didn’t want to leave Natsu. However, he did yank his free hand back as he heard footsteps on the stairs, not wanting to explain to the others why he had been petting the Dragon-slayer’s hair. There was no way he was removing his other hand though, replenishing the ice just as Wendy, with Carla and Happy close on her heels entered the room, her eyes going wide as she took in the state that Natsu was in. “He’s burning up, and my ice doesn’t seem to be enough to combat it,” Gray explained as he beckoned her close. “And he hasn’t woken at all since I arrived.” He didn’t think that brief whisper counted, as Natsu seemed as unresponsive and unaware of his presence as ever.

“Natsu-san?” Wendy called as she approached, wincing as she felt the heat coming off the Fire mage, her gaze flicking to Gray’s fingers as he replenished his ice yet again and the worry in her eyes seemed to intensify. “Natsu…” She began again, not really expecting a response after the first time, but she had barely got the first word out, coming up alongside Gray as she did so, when a low growl rang through the room, coming from the unconscious Dragon-slayer. The four of them froze, staring wide-eyed at Natsu who seemed oblivious to what was happening, growling again as Wendy tried to reach for him and she froze, exchanging a startled look with Gray. The Ice mage hadn’t forgotten what had happened in the guild and trying to bury the hurt the reaction cause he began to pull away, not wanting to hurt Natsu.

However, he had barely moved his hand away before Natsu moved restlessly, flinging his head towards Gray, his expression twisted with distress as he whimpered softly. Gray froze at the sound, unable to bear hearing such a noise from the Fire mage and tentatively he reached out again, returning his hand to its previous position, and Natsu immediately settled, even pushing into the touch. Caught up in his relief, he missed Wendy’s quiet gasp or the way she was glancing wide-eyed between them, understanding and a hint of a blush developing in her face.

“Gray…”

“Can you help him?” Gray cut across her, seemingly oblivious to her reaction and discomfort, not looking away from Natsu as he ran icy fingers over the Dragon-slayer’s forehead.

“I don’t think I can,” Wendy admitted nervously, forcing herself to step forward as she reached out with glowing hands, letting her magic wash over Natsu, unsurprised this time when he growled at her proximity. “This is part of being in season. It’s a reaction to not allowing himself go near his mate, because from what Grandine said, just being close to them during this time, even if nothing came of it, could help stabilise their condition,” she explained, taking half a step back as Natsu growled again, not wanting to stress him further and Gray sighed at her words. He didn’t understand. Why was Natsu doing this? Why would he make himself this ill, if something as simple as hanging out with this ‘mate’ could help?

_Idiot, why haven’t you reached out to them…?_

He didn’t want to think about Natsu with someone else, stubbornly refusing to admit why that was, but there was no way he could let this continue, and he sighed. “So, we need to work out who his mate is?” He didn’t do quite as good a job as he wanted keeping the emotion… the jealousy, out of his voice and he was unsurprised when he heard Wendy sigh, reluctantly glancing up at her and half-expecting her to scold him for being selfish. Instead, he was startled to find her staring at him with a strange combination of amusement, frustration and confusion and he blinked. “What?”

“Um…” She hesitated, and he blinked, further confused when she seemed to blush and look away, seemingly unable to hold his gaze. Unaware that right then she was desperately wishing that Erza or Lucy were there, as they would probably have caught on by now and would be much better equipped to explain this to Gray than she was. She looked up meeting his gaze once more, only to groan at whatever she found in his expression, but before he could demand an answer, ignoring the glare he could feel from Carla, she had continued. “I think… I think that it might be you.”

The words hung in a heavy silence for a few seconds as Gray just stared at her, watching as the red in her cheeks became more pronounced. The moment broken by a startled gasp from the silence as Happy finally realised what Wendy was implying, and it cut through Gray’s shock, and he dragged his wide-eyed stare away from her to look at Natsu.

“Me…?” _There was no way,_ he wanted to protest, staring disbelievingly at Natsu, not sure what he was feeling right then. On the one hand, he desperately wanted it to be true, but at the same time he had never expected Natsu to feel the same way, it was why he hadn’t said anything and kept his distance… and if it was true, then why on earth had Natsu fought the bond to the point of collapse? If just being close could ease the pain, then why hadn’t he reached out, did he distrust Gray that much? Or did he resent the choice being taken out of his hands? He scowled, not liking the direction his whirling thoughts were taken and he glanced across at Wendy, hoping that she might have a better idea than he did. “Then why…?” He couldn't even bring himself to finish the question, but it didn’t look as though he needed to as a knowing expression passed over Wendy’s face.

“Fear?” Wendy suggested gently as she glanced between the two of them, she hadn’t missed the emotions that had played across Gray’s face, or the fact that he hadn’t pulled away, still using his ice to battle the fever and it gave her hope that something could happen. That something could change between them. “It’s different for Gajeel-san because he had already chosen before this happened, so it was just a step forward for them. Natsu…” She paused, not sure that she was on the right track, but eager to do anything that might help, not wanting Natsu to experience the same pain that Grandine had and not wanting Gray to end up regretting something later. “Natsu was probably scared that if you didn’t feel the same it could ruin your friendship, especially with the added pressure of what being a Dragon’s mate can entail. So he chose…”

“To destroy himself?” Gray demanded incredulously, and Wendy shrugged. She didn’t agree with what Natsu had done, and personally, she thought they were both oblivious idiots to some extent, but at the same time, she could kind of understand where Natsu was coming from because it was a fear all Dragon-slayers harboured. The fear of being abandoned by those who were filling the holes that had been left behind by the disappearance of their foster parents, the fear of not being accepted by the one person who should accept them for who they were.

“But…” Gray trailed off, shaking his head as he glanced down at Natsu. “Idiot,” he added fondly, before glancing back at Wendy uncertainly. “So what do we do now?” He felt lost. This wasn’t a situation he had ever envisioned finding himself in, not even on the rare occasions when he had tried to imagine how he would tell the other how he felt, and right now he had no idea how he was supposed to proceed or what he was expected to do.

Wendy hesitated, worried about what could happen if she said the wrong thing right now, but there was little that she could do as the decision had to rest in their hands and she sighed. “It’s up to you what happens now,” she settled for saying softly, feeling sorry for Gray as he looked more panicked than ever. “Natsu’s not in any condition to make that kind of choice right now, and he wouldn’t anyway. It’s always up to the mate whether they want to accept being chosen, so you need to decide what you want.” She wished that she could give him more, but it was literally up to him now, and she reached out, patting him on the arm and smiling slightly as the gesture drew another growl from Natsu. Then she reluctantly pulled herself away, shooing the Exceeds out ahead of her, leaving Gray and Natsu alone with a last, pleading glance over her shoulder.

_Please, make the right decision…_

**

Gray wasn’t sure how long he remained there, sitting immobilised at Natsu’s side, one hand resting on the Dragon-slayer’s forehead as he stared at him. He felt adrift, caught up in the maelstrom of emotions playing through his chest and thoughts racing through his mind, and he was finding it nearly impossible to grasp at one thing long enough to be coherent. No, that wasn’t entirely true… he wasn’t sure how he felt, or what he was going to do, but over it all, he could hear Wendy’s words echoing, tauntingly in the back of his mind.

_Dragons mate for life, and Dragon-slayers are the same…_

_If the mate rejects the bond…_

_The dragon remains alone….alone…for the rest of their life…_

_Scared…_

_It’s up to you what happens now…_

The last one terrified him. _I have to decide?_ How could he choose, when everything was such a muddle in his head, and the took a shaky breath and then another, frantically trying to steady himself long enough to make sense of what was happening. It was hard because this was definitely not what he had expected when he had come to see Natsu, or even when he had heard that Natsu was in season and that he had chosen someone.

This had never entered even his craziest thoughts.

“G-Gray…” The breathy whisper startled him back into the present just as his thoughts were starting to spiral again, and he jumped, magic flaring before he realised where the voice had come from. Glancing down he realised that Natsu was actually conscious this time, olive eyes open, although they were little more than slits and what little he could was hazy and unfocused. Still, it was more than he’d had so far, and relief flooded him at this small sign of awareness, and despite everything still swirling inside him, he managed an encouraging smile.

“Hey,” he greeted softly, letting his fingers still for a moment, not wanting to distract Natsu. “How are you feeling?” It was a stupid question, the answer written in the lines of pain that hadn’t faded from Natsu’s face, and his ragged breathing, but it was the only thing he could think to ask that didn’t plunge straight into the murky topic that was what they were going to do.

What Gray was going to do…

Natsu blinked, clearly struggling to focus let alone keep his eyes open, and his gaze seemed to wander for a moment before drifting back towards Gray. “Gray…” He faltered, breath catching for a moment before he shook his head. “I-I’m sorry.” Gray was stunned and more than a little unnerved to realise that tears were building in the corners of Natsu’s eyes. How long had it been since he had seen Natsu cry? Years? Natsu had grown up hard and fast, the little boy who had wept at their teasing and Ingeel’s disappearance, becoming someone who hid everything behind bravado and a bright grin and it scared Gray to see those defences swept away now.

“What are you sorry for?” He asked his own voice little more than a whisper as he reached out to brush away some of the tears that had escaped, scared by such a sign of vulnerability from the other mage. Natsu was never this vulnerable, and it was terrifying for Gray to realise that he was unintentionally responsible for it. It also hammered home the truth in Wendy’s words, and he could feel the weight of the decision he had to make settling on his shoulders once more.

“P-putting you…” Natsu’s voice broke and cracked, before trailing off completely, as he lost his grip on what little bit of strength he’d found to try and speak. He was unconscious again before Gray could say anything more, tears still glistening on his cheeks, grief and pain written across his features and Gray sighed, before reaching up and carefully wiping away the evidence of the Dragon-slayer’s tears.

_It’s up to you…_

Gray groaned, closing his eyes as he tried to gather his thoughts. It was clear that Natsu wasn’t going to take the first step, even if he was physically capable of it, and Gray swallowed as he realised that they were already running out of time. As much as they might both need more time to work through this, they weren’t going to get it, and Gray opened his eyes, studying Natsu’s face… if they didn’t do something soon then Natsu would be left to suffer, these lines of grief and pain might become permanent, and just the thought of it left a bitter taste in his mouth. _I can’t let that happen,_ he thought, heart, clenching at the mere idea of that happening. He didn’t know exactly how he felt or what he thought about all of this, but he knew that he cared about Natsu, as more than a friend… he didn’t know if that was enough for the bond that Wendy had been talking about, but it was more than enough to know that he had to do something.

That he was going to do something.

He took a deep breath, before rising decisively, the movement drawing another whimper from Natsu as it put distance between them. The instinctive reaction reinforcing Gray’s resolve, and he hastily shrugged off his shirt and shoes, tossing them out of the way, before gently pulling back the covers and slipping in beside the feverish Dragon-slayer, before he could begin to doubt his decision. The heat was overwhelming, but he rearranged the covers over them before wrapping his arms around Natsu and pulling the Dragon-slayer against him, hissing as burning skin pressed tightly against his own cooler skin. A smile tugging at his lips as he felt Natsu unconsciously snuggled closer, feeling some of his uncertainty easing away, although he knew that they would still have a lot more to talk about if this worked.

“I’m here Natsu,” he murmured in the closest ear, holding Natsu close, fingers finding their way back to pink hair as he allowed his eyes to drift shut, the overwhelming heat lulling him towards sleep as he added silently.

_And I might just love you, you flame-brained idiot…_


	3. Chapter 3

Gray started awake a short while later, not sure how long he had been dozing for and more than a little disorientated as he opened his eyes and realised that he wasn’t in his own room. There was a brief moment of panic, and he could feel ice beginning to gather around his fingers, but he was derailed by a soft noise beside him, followed by movement as something, or rather someone pressed closer into his side. Memory stirred, even as he shifted so that he could see what was going on, a slight smile tugging at his lips as he gazed down at the sleeping dragon-slayer, relieved to see that he looked somewhat peaceful at the moment. _Of course…_ The events from earlier still felt a little bit like a dream, but there was no denying that Natsu was here, and cuddling against him in a way that Gray had been reasonably sure would never happen with their previous rivalry, and he couldn’t resist reaching down and running his fingers through pink hair.

He would’ve liked to have remained like that for a while longer, as there was something oddly peaceful about the moment, his smile growing for a moment as he considered that was because Natsu was asleep. However, his fingers had strayed lower, brushing against Natsu’s forehead, and his smile and contentment faded as he realised that the Dragon-slayer was still abnormally warm, which was really saying something considering how warm he ran usually. He had been hoping that just curling together and keeping Natsu close to the natural chill that his magic gave his skin would be enough to bring his temperature back down to reasonable levels, but it seemed as though it was going to take more direct action if he wanted to get rid of the fever.

Smoothing, sweat-drenched bangs back into place, he reluctantly pulled away and slid out of bed, trying to be as quiet as possible so that he wouldn’t disturb Natsu. Unfamiliar with Natsu’s house, he froze when he stepped on a floorboard that creaked loudly beneath his weight, and he glanced over his shoulder, holding his breath as Natsu stirred with a soft grumble. However, after a moment Natsu rolled over, shifting across into the hollow that Gray had left behind, and while he was frowning now, he seemed to settle as he buried his nose into the covers, his breathing evening out once more. _It’s your choice, Gray._ Seeing Natsu like that was a stark reminder of the fact that there was more to this situation than simple illness and shaking his head Gray cautiously continued heading for the door, glancing back once more before slipping out of the room.

It took him a couple of attempts to locate the bathroom, having not paid much attention earlier, and he rolled his eyes as he took in the scattered bottles around the bath, most of them empty or halfway, and apparently abandoned. Having shared a room and bathroom with Natsu on missions he wasn’t surprised, but he made a note to clear them up later. For now, he ignored them in favour of starting to run a bath, hoping that maybe a cooling bath would be the push that they needed to break the fever. He wished that he had asked Wendy more questions when she’d been here because he still felt completely out of his depth and they hadn’t even had to broach the more difficult topics yet. Deciding not to worry about that until Natsu was in a position to talk about it, he turned the taps up higher, reluctant to be away from the Dragon-slayer for too long at the moment.

Once the bath was full enough, he stuck a hand in it, carefully bringing it down to a lukewarm temperature and wincing, knowing that it wasn’t going to feel pleasant for Natsu, at least to start with. _But if it helps…_

*

Back in the bedroom, Natsu was still asleep, only the small furrow between his eyes indicating that he was aware that Gray had left. However, he stirred quickly enough when Gray crouched down and shook his shoulder, making sure to keep himself in Natsu’s eye line, unable to forget how Natsu had nearly torched the entire infirmary when he was younger, and Porlyusica had inadvertently startled him while he had a high fever. Thankfully, Natsu seemed drawn to him, although it only took a quick glance at the distant gaze, and barely open eyes to realise that the Dragon-slayer wasn’t entirely with him, or aware of what was going on.

“Gray?” Natsu sounded terrifyingly young in his confusion, his frown growing as his gaze drifted away Gray and around the room, without seeming to make sense of the situation and Gray winced as he felt a brief flare in the heat coming from Natsu and he was quick to reach out and grab the Dragon-slayer’s shoulders. Hoping that the touch would keep him grounded, while he allowed a little of his magic to seep across Natsu’s skin, soothing some of the burn away.

“Easy, easy, you’re okay,” he murmured, keeping his voice soft and soothing, startled at how quickly Natsu’s gaze swung back to him as soon as he started speaking, although he didn’t look any less confused by the situation. “I’m going to take you through to the bathroom, okay?” He didn’t get a verbal response, but Natsu didn’t fight him as he pulled the covers away and helped ease him to his feet, and Gray took that as agreement.

Apparently, it was more than confusion afflicting him, because Natsu had barely risen to his feet before he staggered and nearly fell, his body an uncoordinated mass as he whined under his breath and Gray wrapped an arm around his shoulders, drawing him back into his side. “Steady, let me help you, okay?” He half-expected a protest then, because Natsu had always been fiercely independent, and more than once they’d had to force him to accept help when it was needed. But whether, he felt too ill right now, or because of the influence of being in season, Natsu merely nodded, leaning against him and letting Gray guide him out of the room with a trusting expression on his face.

By the time they reached the bathroom, Gray was practically carrying him, but at least he wasn’t fighting it, and the Ice Mage decided to count his blessings for that much at least. There was a mumbled protest when he carefully stripped Natsu down to his underwear, but Gray easily dodged his swatting hands, wincing as Natsu caught the basin, grazing his knuckles and he was amazed that the basin didn’t shatter. “Natsu, come on, don’t do that.”

“Gray?”

“Yeah, it’s still me,” Gray murmured soothingly, managing a strained smile when Natsu focused on him for a second, but his reassurance didn’t seem to ease the confusion.

“Why?” Natsu frowned, and for a moment there was a glimmer of awareness in his eyes as he blinked and tried to straighten against Gray. Unfortunately, his body was not ready to cooperate, and he ended up slumping back against the Ice mage. “I d-didn’t…did I? I didn’t…” The clarity was fading, and his words disintegrated into incoherent mumbling, but Gray knew what he had been trying to ask - _I didn’t tell you, did I?_ and his expression darkened for a moment.

_Damn it Natsu, why was it so important to hide this?_

He wished that he knew, if only because it would make it easier to help Natsu. However, that was a conversation for later. With Natsu limp against him once more, he decided that it was safe to move him to the bath. However, that was when he encountered trouble, because as he tried to ease Natsu into the lukewarm water, the Dragon-slayer came alive, crying out as the water blazed against his overheated skin and he started to writhe, trying to twist out of Gray’s firm hold and escape the cold waters lapping against his body.

“Woah Natsu,” Gray admonished, keeping his voice deliberately gentle even as he fought to keep his hold on the Dragon-slayer. It was worrying just how easy it was for him to hold Natsu in place, because as much as he always swore that he was going to beat Natsu, he was used to being at least evenly matched, and this display of weakness scared him. Scowling, and wanting nothing more than to have the flame-brained idiot back to normal, he scooped Natsu up into his arms and deposited him into the water before the disorientated Dragon-slayer could react, blanching as Natsu immediately cried out again.

Natsu was thrashing now, batting at the water now covering him and at Gray’s hands as the Ice mage stopped him from lunging up and out of the bath. “It hurts!” Gray had a feeling that Natsu had meant to snarl the words, or at least shout them, but instead, they came out like a broken whimper that cut him to the core, and he tensed, paling at the pain within those words. What made it a hundred times worse was when Natsu’s head lolled towards him, olive eyes pleading with him to help, to stop the pain, tears were beginning to build in the corner of his eyes.

“Natsu…” He couldn’t apologise, because he knew that this was necessary. That they had to do something to bring the fever down as soon as possible, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear Natsu whimpering as he sank back against the bath, lacking the strength to continue fighting him. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” He wasn’t sure which of them he was trying to convince right now, and his throat tightened, the next words strained. “I know it hurts, but it’s going to help you, I promise.” The admission that he knew it was hurting cut deep, because even at the height of their rivalry he had never truly tried to hurt Natsu, and he swallowed, trembling as he started to scoop water into his hand and pour it over Natsu. “You’re going to be okay.”

It had to be one of the longest ten minutes of his life as he continued to pour the water over Natsu, listening to him whimpering and crying out in pain, and unable to do anything about it. However, just as Gray thought that he might break, Natsu fell silent as he finally succumbed to unconsciousness, and even as Gray repositioned him to make sure that he couldn’t slip beneath the surface, he felt a moment of blessed relief. A quick check of Natsu’s forehead revealed that the fever was still too high for his liking, and so he continued pouring the water over Natsu, able to breath easier now that Natsu wasn’t crying out. He had felt like a monster continuing with those cries in the background, even if he knew that he was helping.

It was almost ten minutes later before he felt that Natsu’s temperature had dropped to an acceptable level, although there was still a hint of the fever visible in the flushed cheeks. However, for now Gray was more than happy to rescue Natsu from the chilly water, carefully drying him and redressing him, wishing that he had thought to track down spare clothes but unwilling to leave Natsu while he found fresh once, especially as he didn’t want to risk the Dragon-slayer catching a chill on top of everything else.

It was easier getting Natsu back to his room as he wasn’t fighting him this time, and he carefully settled him into the bed once more, pulling the covers over him and tucking him in firmly, relieved to see that he looked peaceful again. However, it didn’t stop the sigh that slid free as he settled on the edge of the bed, rubbing a hand across his face, still feeling on edge. He glanced at the window, startled to see that it was pitch black outside, and he realised that they must’ve slept the afternoon away. Briefly, he wondered what Wendy and the Exceeds had told the rest of the guild about what was going on, as he knew that many people had been worried about Natsu, and he doubted that she would have told them the truth. He knew that she had only told him because it was the only way to help Natsu, but he shrugged, he could only afford to worry about one thing at the moment, and the rest of the guild would find out sooner or later anyway. That thought wasn’t as comforting as it could have been as his gaze strayed back to Natsu.

_Unless_ _Natsu keeps trying to hide it…_

**

He remained like that for a few minutes, just watching over Natsu, before a loud rumbling from his stomach reminded him that he hadn’t actually eaten since that morning. As there was no way he was leaving at the moment, he hoped that Natsu wouldn’t mind him helping himself in the kitchen – he could always repay him later if the Flamebrain kicked off. With a last worried glance at the peaceful figure in the bed he rose and went in search of food as his stomach rumbled again. It felt stranger wandering through the Dragon-slayer’s house, he had only been here a couple of times, and it had always been with Natsu and Happy in tow, and he felt out of place now as he made his way into the kitchen.

At least this was tidier than the bathroom, although he had a feeling that was due to it being used a lot less as Natsu usually ate and drank at the guild with the rest of them. Which was why he was surprised and relieved to find that the cupboards were relatively well stocked at the moment, an unusual situation because he knew that between rarely being home and his enormous appetite, he never tended to have much lying around. It had also been a great excuse to come to the guild more often or to go and plague Lucy at her house, as she would never let the idiot starve no matter how much she complained about him dropping in unannounced.

He was halfway through a hastily constructed snack, unwilling to take the time to cook and lacking the energy to when he froze and tilted his head towards the door. At first, he thought it had just been the house creaking again, as it sounded like the weather was getting worse outside, but then it came again, and this time there was no mistaking that it was someone crying out. Heart in his mouth he bolted out of the kitchen, food half-eaten but already forgotten. He took the stairs two at a time, cursing with each breath, especially as he could hear Natsu more clearly, the distressed noises lending him speed.

In the bedroom doorway, he paused for a moment as there was a lull in the noises, although there was no way to miss the way that Natsu was moving restlessly on the bed, his head tossing and turning from side to side, the covers half hanging off him. _Natsu…_ Before he had a chance to continue the self-recrimination for leaving him, there was another strangled cry, it was more sound than words, but the Ice mage caught enough of his own name in it to propel him forward, and he closed the distance in several quick steps.

“I’m here Natsu,” he called, but his voice didn’t seem to be enough as the Dragon-slayer whined and flailed out, searching for him, he realised. “I’m here,” he repeated, moving around to the other side so that he could slip back into the bed. He took a moment to pull the covers back over Natsu, making sure that the Dragon-slayer was properly covered before he pressed in close and wrapped his arms about the restless Mage. “I’m right here,” he soothed, not thinking about it as he pressed a quick kiss to Natsu’s temple as the Dragon-slayer rolled over to bury his face against his chest. The movement had caused another soft whine of discomfort, but it trailed off into a contented huff as Natsu finally registered the familiar scent now flooding his nose. Warm fingers pressed against Gray’s back, holding him close, although not tightly enough to bruise, as Natsu began to relax against him and the Ice mage bit back a relieved sigh at how quickly he was settling, even as he berated himself for not expecting this after what Wendy had said.

****

He must’ve dozed off at some point, despite his determination to stay awake and watch over the Dragon-slayer, even after Natsu had settled completely once more. It was movement in his arms that roused him, and his eyes shot open, panic flooding him once more as this time he remembered everything that had happened. This time he immediately registered the warm body that was shifting against him, and his eyes widened as he realised that this wasn’t the same restless movements as earlier, but purposeful, albeit weak efforts to pull away and he glanced down.

“Natsu?” He couldn’t have stopped Natsu in his tracks better if he’d used his ice, because the Dragon-slayer went completely rigid, his head tilted away so that Gray couldn’t get a clear look at his face. They remained like that for a couple of minutes, Gray trying to give Natsu time to gather himself and hoping that he would turn to look at him, but Natsu seemed reluctant to move, and he sighed. “I know that you’re awake, Natsu. Can you look at me?” It was gentle despite the sigh, and slowly Natsu nodded, before turning to look at him, and Gray’s eyes softened as he took in the flustered expression on Natsu’s face, and the colour tinting his cheeks that he had a feeling had nothing to do with the lingering traces of fever. He bit his lip as Natsu seemed to blush brighter under his gaze, unable to remember seeing the other this flustered before, and admitting to himself at least that the Dragon-slayer was rather cute at the moment.

“G-Gray?” There was a waver that could have been from either the lingering fever, or his embarrassment, but there was a weakness to the words that told him that Natsu was still not feeling great. However, his attention was caught by the emotions flickering across Natsu’s face as he tried to look anywhere but at Gray – it was a complicated mix of fear, confusion and a tiny spark of hope that appeared whenever the olive eyes inevitably darted towards him. It was that last emotion that made him move closer, wrapping an arm around Natsu once more and pulling him close, feeling the Dragon-slayer tense before following the tugging sensation, his eyes wide and confused as he looked at Gray. “What are…?”

“How are you feeling?” Gray cut across him, not sure either of them was ready for that discussion, but also needing to know as he couldn’t forget Natsu’s pained cries as he had tried to cool him down in the bath. He didn’t feel as abnormally hot as he had earlier, but he was still warmer than usual, and now that he was looking directly at Gray it was impossible to miss how pale he was. Or the dark bags that had taken up residence under his eyes, indicating that even if he felt better, he still needed a lot more rest.

He half expected Natsu to brush him off with an ‘I’m fine’, especially as he had been trying to hide what had been going on, and he was surprised when Natsu hesitated, visibly taking stock of how he felt. “Better, I think…but not g-great,” Natsu replied hesitantly, voice cracking before he swallowed and glanced away. “Thanks to you, I’m guessing…”. Gray felt a brief flicker of irritation before he realised that Natsu wasn’t complaining, or being reluctant to show his gratitude…he was scared. Scared that Gray knew what was going on, and what was going to happen now, and Wendy’s words and warnings flashed through his mind.

“Natsu…” He faltered, not entirely sure how to even begin addressing what was happening between them before he shook his head. This was Natsu. Whatever else had changed, that much hadn’t, and he smiled. “You really are an idiot, you know that?” There was no heat to his words, only fond exasperation and the Dragon-slayer glanced away, but not before he glimpsed the uncertainty that had greeted the words, and he rolled his eyes realising that Natsu hadn’t understood. “You should have told me.” That got Natsu’s attention as he looked at him, an agonised expression twisting his expression.

“I couldn’t….”

“Why?” Gray already had an inkling for some of the reasons, but he wanted to hear Natsu say them and he lightly squeezed the Dragon-slayer when no answer was forthcoming. “Natsu, why couldn’t you tell me?”

“I…” Natsu swallowed, looking down. “I was scared.” The Dragon-slayer was tense and beginning to tremble, and Gray half expected him to try and pull away, but he didn’t. Instead, he seemed to lean into the touch. Soaking up as much as the contact as he could, as though waiting for it to be snatched away from him at any moment. “I didn’t want to lose you. I don’t want to lose you…I was scared that if I told you about all this, that you would walk away. That you would leave.” _Like Igneel._ The words were unspoken, but Gray heard them anyway. It hurt to hear them, just as it had every time that Natsu had tried to play off that loss in the past, but today it felt worse, especially knowing what Natsu had been dealing with the past week and seeing him so unwell.

However, there was one key difference now – Gray knew what was going on. He could make sure that Natsu didn’t have to deal with alone, and if he had anything to say about it, he could try and make it so that he never had to see that kind of pain in Natsu’s eyes ever again.

Starting now.

“Natsu.” He doubted that he had ever said the Dragon-slayer’s name that softly before, and he knew that was what made Natsu look up at him, and he smiled, reassuring and encouraging at once. “You do know that I would have helped regardless of all of this? Even if I hadn’t accepted the fact that you had chosen me as your mate, I wouldn’t have let you suffer through all this, especially if just being around me would help.” There had been a time when he wouldn’t have accepted it, but there was no point when he could conceive of walking away and leaving Natsu to suffer, and now… He shook his head, meeting and holding Natsu’s gaze, realising that the Dragon-slayer’s eyes had widened and that the spark of hope that he had seen earlier had become a small flame flickering in their depths. “Natsu?”

“You mean…I…we…” Natsu tried to respond, but the words came out in a jumbled mess as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say, but the surging emotions and the strange haze still clinging to his thoughts were making it impossible to focus, and in the end, he subsided with a helpless shake of his head.

Gray almost laughed, never able to imagine that he would be able to render Natsu completely speechless like this, but he bit back the urge because he knew that this was important. That the Dragon-slayer was still on a knifepoint, wanting to believe him, to trust in the hope that he was starting to feel, but not quite ready to make that leap of faith. He leant forward, making sure that he kept Natsu’s attention. “You know I was jealous when Wendy was explaining what was happening to you and Gajeel the other day, when she said that you had found your mate, and everyone was busy trying to work out who you were growling about,” Gray murmured. “Especially when she said that you would never be able to like anyone else in that way.”

It took a moment for the words to register, for the realisation to dawn in Natsu’s eyes and he smiled as he saw a fire in Natsu’s eyes that had been missing since the start of this conversation.

“How long…?” Natsu asked finally.

_How long?_ Now that was a good question, one that Gray hadn’t allowed himself to consider and he paused now, as he tried to pinpoint just when his feelings for the Dragon-slayer had shifted. “I…I think since Galuna?” He said thoughtfully, absently pulling Natsu into his side, his hand creeping up to lace his fingers in Natsu’s hair, drawing strength from the contact. “Maybe a little bit before, but I think I realised it properly in the moment that you stepped in between Deliora and me.”

Gray scowled as he remembered the sheer terror that had gripped him when Natsu had moved to stand in front of him, seconds before he had been ready to unleash the Iced Shell spell, and in the moment that followed when the Dragon-slayer had refused to dodge the incoming blow. He had thought that he was about to witness a repeat of Deliora tearing everything away from him, and in that split second, he had realised that he needed Natsu. That he needed to have the Dragon-slayer right there beside him. After that, and ever since, whenever they found themselves in a situation where the reckless, flame-brained idiot in his arms had gotten himself into trouble or put himself in danger because of them – which was far too often – he found that same terror welling up, to the point where it was nearly overwhelming.

“So long?” Natsu whispered, a small smile finally daring to creep on to his face, and the shift was enough to pull Gray way from the bad memories and darkening thoughts, and he nodded. _We were idiots,_ he thought, wondering just how many times he had come close to saying something. Or how many times Natsu had come close to speaking out. _Would we have gone on indefinitely if this hadn’t happened?_ That was a sobering thought, and he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know the answer to it, especially when Natsu laughed. It was still strained, and nothing like his usual raucous laughter, but after the worry and fear it was a welcome sound. “Doesn’t that mean we’re both idiots for waiting so long?” The Dragon-slayer asked, unknowingly echoing Gray’s thoughts and managing to sound a little more like himself, and Gray chuckled, relieved by this glimpse of normality, this hint of the Natsu that he knew and…loved.

“It probably does,” Gray agreed, before smirking. “I still think you’re the bigger idiot though.” He made sure to keep his tone light and teasing, not sure that they were past the point where Natsu might still misunderstand. Natsu pouted at his words, but it lacked the hurt or anger he had been worried about, although the effect was ruined somewhat by the large yawn that followed, and now that his attention had been diverted, Gray could see that the Dragon-slayer was flagging again. While he wanted to keep talking, certain that there were still other issues for them to discuss, and the big question of where they were going now still unanswered, he was reluctant to push while Natsu was clearly still not at his best and his expression softened. “You should get some more rest, and we can talk again tomorrow.” He made no effort to hide his concern, hoping that it would encourage Natsu not to fight him on this, and Natsu nodded slightly before glancing at him nervously.

“Will you stay?” He asked in a rush, almost as red as he had been earlier, and Gray faltered for a second at the sight and the request, warmth rising in his chest as he realised that even now Natsu was waiting for him to pull away but had asked anyway. They still had a lot to talk about, and even more to work out, but Gray didn’t hesitate, smiling as he ducked his head to give the startled dragon slayer a quick, chaste kiss on the lips.

“I’ll stay.” _Always_ , had been on the tip of his tongue, but they definitely weren’t ready for that conversation, especially as Natsu already seemed overwhelmed, reaching up to brush fingers over his lips, and looking as though he didn’t quite believe his ears. Realising that Natsu wasn’t quite sure what to say, or how to process what was happening at the moment, Gray guided them both back to lie down on the bed.

Apparently, that was the right choice, because as uncertain as he was Natsu couldn’t resist curling closer as they settled or smother the soft noise of contentment that escaped as Gray began to slowly rub a hand up and down his back. It didn’t take long for the closeness, and the soothing sensation to lull the already exhausted Dragon-slayer to fall asleep, and Gray snorted as he immediately began to snore loudly, fingers finding their way into Gray’s clothes almost at one, and it was like that that Gray allowed himself to doze off again.


End file.
